Just like a lotus stays above mire and water, you can stay above negative thoughts and emotions.

One query I receive frequently from many is how to live in the moment. Seekers tell me they want to take their mind away from negative thoughts and emotions but are not always able to do so. In fact, more often than not such negativity or distractions win over them causing a turmoil in their inner world of peace and quiet. In the last post I talked about how an attempt to focus on what you dislike brings you exactly what you do not want. That is how Nature operates.

Let me explain. Your outer world is greatly affected by the state of your inner world. Your thoughts, desires and emotions (ultimately, all thoughts) are the building blocks of your inner world. Whether the thought is to avoid something or to have it, that very thought becomes the building block. When you keep your thoughts on things or emotions you want to avoid, you can imagine what your inner world is going to look like. Here is how to overcome negative emotions, thoughts and distractions.

Imagine a battle. The stronger side generally wins. The side that has greater force and more intelligence tends to overpower the other. Between a weak and a strong, the weaker gets subdued by the strong. That is all you need to know. When your negative emotions or thoughts are stronger than your positive ones, they will win over you. Till such time that you discover your natural state of mind, a state that rises above negative or positive, you need to list positive emotions.

Think about those things and emotions that uplift you and are stronger than the ones that make you feel down and pensive. No matter how terrible things may be, there is still plenty everyone has to be grateful. Being grateful for what you have helps you to be positive and strong. Further down the line, when we get to Emotional Transformation, I will detail the practice of gratitude.

For now, your task is to find enough fodder for your mind that makes it peaceful and happy. Whenever you feel down, do not make any attempts to stave off the negativity. Just try your utmost to focus on the positive. Consequently, negative thoughts become greatly feeble.

All negative emotions and sentiments including anger, jealousy and greed mean you are hurt somewhere in your inner world. It indicates the wounds have not healed yet. It shows your heart is still scarred. There is no one-size-fits-all remedy, you need to find a way to heal yourself. Let go; forgive, try. If you make an attempt to let go of all that grieves you, healing occurs automatically. If you make an attempt to look upon everyone as merely the medium to deliver you, as I say, your parcels of karmic fruits, your outlook towards people will start to change. Follow the rules of giving for greater satisfaction and read up again on desires and dependency.